I understand the general goal of Martha Marcy May Marlene: to show how difficult it is for a young, indoctrinated cult member to readjust to life in the outside world. At that the film succeeds, but it accomplishes that goal early on, after which I waited for it to dig deeper. Director Sean Durkin establishes a slow, eerie rhythm that may be a little too slow, because while it effectively sets the mood it doesn’t generate enough tension. I waited eagerly for it to kick into gear, but it only has one gear.